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H.R. 1, H.R. 2596. Prescription Drug Benefit and Medical Savings Accounts/Vote on Rules of Debate on Two Bills: One Would Create a Voluntary, Privately-Run Prescription Drug Benefit for Medicare Beneficiaries and the Other Would Create Medical Savings Accounts. (2003 house Roll Call 322)

H.R. 1, H.R. 2596. Prescription Drug Benefit and Medical Savings Accounts/Vote on Rules of Debate on Two Bills: One Would Create a Voluntary, Privately-Run Prescription Drug Benefit for Medicare Beneficiaries and the Other Would Create Medical Savings Accounts.

On this vote, Republican leaders sought passage of a rule governing debate on two bills (prior to floor consideration, a rule drafted by the House Rules Committee must be adopted). The first bill (H.R. 1) would create a voluntary program in Medicare to provide drug coverage through private companies. The second bill (H.R. 2596) would create tax-exempt medical savings accounts to help seniors cover health care expenses. Progressives voted against the rule based on their objections to the two bills. In their view, the prescription drug bill relied too heavily on private insurance companies to provide affordable drug coverage. Progressives also objected to the medical savings account bill because, in their view, market-based or privately-managed health care proposals would weaken the Medicare program and subject the health care and drug coverage of seniors to the whims of the free market. In the view of Progressives, strengthening the Medicare program-and not adopting market-based proposals-is the most effective way to insure that all seniors, including the poor and those from rural areas, are provided the proper amount of care. On a nearly party-line vote of 221-203, the rule governing debate on the two bills was adopted.